Dream Recipes: Food to Help You Sleep

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Dream Recipes: Food to Help You Sleep

Together with Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart and 'Eat Well, Sleep Well' ambassador for Simba, Lily Soutter, we've developed the Dream Food Recipe series; a three-course menu that's scientifically proven to help you drift off to sleep.

Ingredients - serves 2

Method

2. Roughly chop the olives, and place in the oven on a tray for 30 minutes to slightly dry them and intensify their flavour.

3. Place the mackerel on a small baking tray, skin-side-up and warm in the oven for 10 minutes

4. Peel the kiwi and cut into thin slices. Dress the spinach leaves with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little salt. Remove mackerel from the oven.

5. Arrange the kiwi, black olives and spinach salad on a plate and place the smoked mackerel fillet on top.

Starter (vegan option)

White Asparagus, Kiwi Fruit, Spinach & Black Olives

Ingredients - serves 2

• 6 Spears white asparagus

• 1 Bag baby Spinach leaves

• 1 Kiwi

• 50g Pitted black kalamata olives

• Extra virgin olive oil

• A wedge of Lemon

• Sea salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to a low heat (80°C)

2. Roughly chop the olives, and place in the oven on a tray for 30 minutes to slightly dry them and intensify their flavour.

3. Peel the kiwi and cut into thin slices. Dress the spinach leaves with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little salt.

4. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus. Slice the tender part of each spear crossways into two pieces. Boil or steam for 3 minutes.

5. Arrange with the spinach salad, black olives and kiwis.

Main Course

Chicken, Pumpkin Seeds, Black Garlic & Sweet Potato

Ingredients - serves 2

• 1 Large chicken breast (Skin-on)

• 75g Pumpkin Seeds • 25g Raisins

• 3 Cloves black garlic

• 1 Green (unripe) tomato

• 10g Chipotle chilli

• 1 Sweet potato (cut into rough chunks)

• Half a head of broccoli (broken up into florets)

• Olive oil • 200ml Chicken stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.

2. Season the sweet potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until they are soft, about 45 minutes.

3. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan on a low heat, until they colour slightly, about two minutes. Remove, cool and chop.

4. Chop the green tomato, black garlic, raisins, and chilli. Add to a small pan with a drizzle of oil. Cook for ten minutes on low heat, until the tomatoes have started to colour. Add the chopped pumpkin seeds and the chicken stock and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Place the chicken breast and broccoli on a baking tray.

6. drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

7. Rest chicken for 5 minutes, slice crossways and serve with the other elements.

Method

1. Cook the beans on a low heat with 50ml water and a pinch of salt until warmed through.

2. Season the sweet potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until they are soft, about 45 minutes.

3. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan on a low heat, until they colour slightly, about two minutes. Remove, cool and chop.

4. Chop the green tomato, black garlic, raisins, and chilli. Add to a small pan with a drizzle of oil. Cook for ten minutes on low heat, until the tomatoes have started to colour. Add the chopped pumpkin seeds and the vegetable stock and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.

5. Serve beans with pumpkin seed sauce and sweet potatoes.

Dessert

Galia Melon with Yoghurt, Walnuts, Walnut Oil, Apple Juice & Mint

Ingredients - serves 4

• 1 Ripe galia melon

• 450g Greek-style live yoghurt

• Or Coconut-based vegan ‘yoghurt’

• 300ml Sharp apple juice such as Bramley

• Handful of whole walnuts or walnut pieces

• 2 Teaspoons walnut oil

• 1 Bunch mint

• 2 Teaspoons good quality runny honey

Method

1. Remove the skin and seeds from the melon and cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces.

2. In a bowl, whisk the apple juice together with the honey to sweeten slightly. Add more honey if you would like it sweeter.

3. Finely chop the walnuts. Chop the mint leaves into fine strips.

4. To assemble the dish, place pieces of melon in a dessert bowl. Put a few teaspoons of yoghurt around the dish. Pour some of the sweetened apple juice around everything, being careful not to pour it directly onto the melon or yoghurt. Add a few drops of walnut oil into the apple juice. Garnish the yoghurt with the pieces of walnut and garnish the melon pieces with strips of mint.

Have you tried any of these recipes? Let us know in the comments below!

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